Feathers across the seasons
by Iceflight398
Summary: [Hetalia x Vocaloid song "Feathers Across the Seasons" songfic] Would you still love me?


All rights go to respective owners

* * *

 _Falling snow dances_

 _The world is monochrome. Two_

 _huddle together_

"Aiya," Yao complained, snuggling closer to Ludwig's warmth. "It is far too cold!"

Ludwig tilted his head, stroking Yao's silky soft hair. "But Yao, the snow holds so many memories. Remember that it was snowing the day we met?"

Yao's grumpy expression drifted away. "True. It was almost as cold as today." Then he huffed, burying his face into Ludwig's muscular chest. "Hold me tighter! However good the memories are, it's freezing!"

Ludwig smiled faintly, and hugged Yao tightly to his chest, enveloping the slight man in warm and comfort.

 _Sing with joy to spring_

 _Alongside those chirping birds_

 _Happiness is here_

"Your voice is so beautiful," Ludwig murmured as Yao finished another lovely song.

"Ah! So that's why you've been staring at me!" Yao cried triumphantly, hiding his inner delight at Ludwig's praise. "I was worried I had something on my face, you know."

Ludwig released another faint smile. "Your face is as perfect as always. Sing me another song?"

Yao huffed. "I'm not your personal songbird!"

Ludwig looked dejected. Seeing this expression, Yao hurriedly rushed over and gave him a hug.

"Of course I'll sing for you, silly! But answer one question first, okay?"

Ludwig raised an eyebrow. "What question?"

"If my voice was no longer so beautiful, would you still love me?"

Yao voiced this question with unblinking amber eyes that stared straight into Ludwig's blue ones.

Ludwig immediately turned red. "O-of course I would! I really l-love you, you know." Awkwardly, he brushed Yao's cheeks with his large hand.

Yao laughed, a sound like twinkling bells. He gave Ludwig a quick peck on the cheek, causing the blue-eyed man to blush an even dark shade of red.

"Then I will sing you another song, Ludwig, because I love you too."

 _Terrible summer_

 _You fall ill, yet we cannot_

 _buy that medicine_

Gently, a kneeling Yao stroked Ludwig's cheek, a tear streaming down his cheek. The man, who had once looked so strong, was lying weakly in bed, asleep. His blond hair that he had carefully slicked back in health was messy and tousled, his face pale and shadowed.

"不要担心，心爱的," Yao whispered in his native language.

Do not worry, my love.

"就像你那一天救了我一样，我保证我会救你."

Just like how you saved me on that day, I promise I will save you.

Standing up and casting Ludwig one last mournful look, Yao moved to the loom. Slowly, he plucked a brightly colored feather from himself. It hurt, and he winced, but the pain was irrelevant. He had to save Ludwig.

He began to weave, pucking more and more feathers from himself, slowly becoming numb to the pain. None of it was relevant: his pain, his exhaustion. Somehow, he had to buy the medicine to save Ludwig.

And so he wove on, for the rest of that day and the next, stopping only to take care of Ludwig. He could not let his beloved's life end, like those leaves and snowflakes that danced so beautifully for such a brief time before falling to the ground.

 _And so summer passes_

 _The crickets chirp their bright song_

 _Leaves fall to the ground_

"Your fingers are beautiful," Ludwig murmured, his large hands gripping Yao's bandaged ones as the petite man fed him medicine.

Yao tried to bit down a bitter laugh. His fingers, though once beautiful, were now wounded and scarred from working too much at the loom. And Ludwig's hand were far too cold. Far, far too cold…

Ludwig frowned. "Yao…"

Yao hurriedly tried to cover up his bitterness with a smile. "It'll will be okay, 心爱的."

Feebly, Ludwig reached up and caressed Yao's cheek, the struggle causing tears to pool into Yao's eyes. "Please don't work to hard for me." His voice was a weak rasp. "All I-" He coughed. "-Is for you to be happy."

Yao sniffled, gripping Ludwig's raised hand with his own stinging one.

"And your fingers are beautiful, Yao."

Tears began to stream down Yao's porcelain cheeks. "Ludwig…" He whispered, "If one day they no longer were, would you still love me?"

Ludwig let out a weak smile that was broken by a cough. "Of course, Yao. No matter what time and the cruelty of this world do to your precious fingers, I will always love you."

 _Wind of this cruel world_

Day and night, Yao wove on. His fingers ached, his back was sore, but he had to keep going on.

As he finished another cloth, he rushed out the door, not even bothering to put on a coat. The cold air seeped easily through his thin robes, chilling him to the bone, yet he could not stop. His body ached, but he could not rest. He had to hurry and buy another batch of the medicine, before it was too late…

 _Life is blown out, uncaring_

The maple leaves yellowed. Soon, they would fall, and dance their elegant dance before ending up on the ground, their short breath of life over.

Oh, if only this cruel world would give him a little more time, just a little more, until the maple leaves fall, until his fingers could not move anymore, until he had used up all of his feathers.

 _Leaves and snow and him_

Tears streamed unrestrained down Yao's papery cheeks as he clasped his bandaged hands to his chest.

"If one day," He whispered, with only the darkness to hear him. "I was no longer human, would you still love me?"

Alone and fearful, scared of losing the man so precious to him, Yao softly broke of the last feather…

"Of course I would," A weak voice made strong by love murmured, as strong arms embraced Yao. "You, who has lost your wings, are still the most precious thing to me, even if your voice should be no longer beautiful and your fingers scarred. Even now, I still remember, that bird that had flown so beautifully that day.

"And even now, I still love you."

* * *

 _3/4/2017_

 _I had actually imagined Yao as a mandarin duck in this, which is why that last paragraph said "bird" instead of "crane." Needless to say, "duck" doesn't have the same ring to it as "crane."_

 _In Chinese culture, the mandarin duck symbolizes lifelong love and fidelity, as mandarin ducks mate for life. It is said that if one of them dies, their mate will be devastated and will lose the will to live._

 _The song lyrics aren't exactly the same to avoid copyright issues. They're actually in haiku form. I hope I managed to convey the same meaning though._

 _Also, sorta ruining the moment here, I have a poll open, so if anyone wants to take it..._


End file.
